Luchino Visconti was born in Milan in 1906 into an aristocratic family. His father Giuseppe Visconti of Modrone belonged to the old Lombard nobility, while his mother Carla Erba came from the industrial upper middle class. As a child he was a frequent visitor to La Scala, of which his ancestors had been founder members, inheriting his parent’s passion for music, the theatre and literature. As a boy he assiduously read the European Classics and studied the cello.

His family was an important influence on the young Luchino Visconti; his father organized informal theatre performances with his friends, acting as a stage decorator. His mother personally took care of his musical training and Luchino felt a deep and enduring affection for her.

In 1926 he enlisted as a private soldier at the recruiting office in Milan and in the following years travelled extensively. In Paris he met Kurt Weill, Jean Cocteau and Coco Chanel, and acted as an assistant and costume designer to Jean Renoir on the film “Une Partie de Campagne”. In close contact with French sympathisers of the Popular Front and the Communist Party, Visconti made some important ideological choices in this period. In 1936 he helped to write some parts of the play “Carità Mondana” with G. Antona Traversi.

After the death of his mother in 1939, he abandoned Milan and moved to Rome. He started to frequent the capital’s young artists, becoming part of a group associated with the journal Cinema, which published his first well-known article entitled "Cadaveri". He contributed to the production of various films, and finally, between 1942 and 1943 he made “Ossessione”, one of the very first examples of the emerging neo-realism, based on James Mallahan Cain’s"The Postman Always Rings Twice".

He actively participated in the Resistance movement as part of communist groups and was arrested and tortured for his role in this work. Following the liberation of Rome, he was forced to suspend several film projects due to economic difficulties, so he dedicated himself to the theatre, bringing a fresh approach to both his choice of repertoire and production criteria. He directed some very original plays in this period.

In 1947 he travelled to Sicily to make a documentary about the fishermen of Aci Trezza. The resulting "La terra trema" (The earth trembles), a liberal adaptation of Verga’s "I Malavoglia", was made with very little technical equipment and without any fixed sets. In the autumn of 1948, the film was unsuccessfully presented in Venice and provoked contrasting reviews.

Between 1948 and 1951 he turned to the theatre again, producing masterpieces such "Un tram che si chiama desiderio" (A Streetcar Named Desire), "Oreste", "Morte di un commesso viaggiatore" (Death of a Salesman), and "Il seduttore", also making “Bellissima” with Anna Magnani.

1954 saw yet another masterpiece, “Senso" (Livia), a tribute to Verdi and a critical look at the Risorgimento. The film provoked criticism even from his usual supporters and controversy because it failed to win the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival.

The première of the opera "La Vestale", starring Maria Callas took place in December 1954. This was followed by "La Sonnambula", "La Traviata", "Anna Bolena" and "Ifigenia in Tauride". His association with Callas represented a period of Visconti’s most memorable and brilliant contributions to opera.

In 1957 he made “Le notti bianche" (White Nights) winning the Silver Lion award in Venice, followed by “Rocco e i suoi fratelli" (Rocco and His Brothers) in 1960, which was censured and for which Visconti was accused of obscenity. He contributed a section “Il lavoro (The job)” to "Boccaccio '70" and in 1963 made “Il Gattopardo (The Leopard)” which won the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival. “Vaghe stelle dell’orsa" (Sandra of a Thousand Delights), an episode of “Le streghe" (The Witches) and “Lo straniero" (The Stranger)” followed.

Between 1969 and 1973 he embarked on making a German film trilogy with “La caduta degli dei"(The Damned), “Morte a Venezia" (Death in Venice) and “Ludwig” which as well as emphasizing his interest in the 19th century, represented a sort of spiritual testament.

During the production of "Ludwig", the director suffered a stroke which resulted in the paralysis of his left leg and arm. “Gruppo di famiglia in un interno" (Conversation Piece) in 1974 and “L’innocente" (The Intruder) in 1976 were to be his last films.

He died on March 17, 1976